Self-aligning skip hoist for use in sinking shafts



Aug. 1, 1967 P. c. OLEARY 3,333,653

ELF-ALIGNING SKIP HOIST FOR USE IN SINKING SHAFTS Filed May 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 rrmr INVENTOR. PAUL C. OLEARY BY M4 ATTORNEYS Sheets-Sheet I OR. PAUL c OLEARY INVENT ATTORNEYS I m W P. C. OLEARY SELF-ALIGNING SKIP HOIST FCR USE IN STNKING SHAF'IS Filed May 17, 196E United States Patent 3,333,658 SELF-ALIGNING SKIP HOIST FOR USE IN SINKING SHAFTS Paul C. OLeary, Salt Lake City, Utah, assignor to Machinery Center, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, a corporation of Utah Filed May 17, 1965, Ser. No. 456,261 9 Claims. (Cl. 187-96) This invention relates to hoisting apparatus used in sinking shafts for mines or the like. More particularly, it is concerned with improving skip hoists of the type previously disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,937,773, issued May 24, 1960, to Roger V. Pierce et al., and in the pending application for US. patent, Ser. No. 307,398, filed Sept. 9, 1963, by Lawrence A. James, now Patent No. 3,227,245.

In Patent No. 2,937,773 there is disclosed a skip hoist constructed to automatically engage guide shoes on a skip or bucket with guide rails vertically mounted on timber sets extending into a shaft. This apparatus has been found to be a great improvement over the earlier known skip hoist structures wherein skips were manually engaged with their guide rails. As noted in the aforementioned application No. 307,398, however, it is desirable to have a skip hoist that does not require a plurality of guide cables to limit the distance below the headframe that the skip can travel, nor a high and individually designed headframe. In that application there is disclosed a skip hoist employing a single cable which passes down through a guide cam carried by a crosshead, and that terminates at a cam follower carried by a skip. As the skip is moved into engagement with the crosshead the cam follower engages the cam and the skip is properly positioned so that guide shoes mounted thereon will be in alignment with guide rails in the shaft being sunk. Latch means are provided to hold the skip and crosshead in coupled relationship during their simultaneous travel in the shaft and to release the skip from the crosshead only when trip actuators contact landing chairs positioned at the bottom of the guide rails.

As With the invention disclosed in the aforementioned application No. 307,398, objects of the present invention are to provide a single cable type skip hoist wherein a standard low-height headframe is used to raise a crosshead and skip that are automatically coupled together for travel along guide rails in a shaft, and to provide means for releasing the skip from the crosshead only when the crosshead is positioned at the bottom of the guide rails.

In addition, to further insure the safety of those individuals engaged in the mucking operation at the bottom of the shaft, the present invention is also concerned with preventing dangerous spin of the skip, maintaining the skip in a guided relationship, and automatically reducing the rate of movement of the skip as it travels separately beneath the crosshead.

An outstanding feature of this invention is the manner in which a single hoisting cable is used to prevent dangerous spinning of the skip, to provide a guide for the skip, and to reduce the rate of movement of the skip as it travels separately beneath the crosshead. This is accomplished by passing the hoisting cable down through the crosshead and around a cable guide member connected to the skip. The caple is then passed back up to the crosshead Where it is securely anchored.

The support means on the skip is preferably a sheave, positioned in a sheave housing that is mounted on the bail of the skip, and the cable preferably passes through guides carried by the crosshead both before and after it passes around the sheave.

The safety-type crosshead is actuated to release itself 3,333,658 Patented Aug. 1, 1967 for sliding movement along the guide rails in response to contact by the sheave housing, and safety rods carried by the crosshead hold the skip in engagement with the crosshead until actuators connected to the rods are pivoted by their contact with landing chairs at the bottom of the guide rails to move the rods to a release position.

There is shown in the accompanying drawings a specific embodiment of the invention representing what is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the generic concepts in actual practice. From the detailed description of this presently preferred form of the invention, other more specific objects and features will become apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the skip, skip-hoist and headframe in use;

FIG. 2, a front elevation of the skip and skip-hoist, with the skip shown below the lowermost position of the headframe;

FIG. 3, a side elevation;

FIG. 4, a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5, an enlarged, fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings:

In the illustrated form of the invention a headframe 10 supports a sheave 11, over which a hoisting cable 12 passes. Cable 12 is connected at one end to a conventional powered reel, not shown, and at its other end to a crosshead 13, that is adapted to be raised from, and lowered into, a mine shaft 14. Vertical guide rails 15 are fixed to reinforcement timbering 16 of the usual timber sets and extend downwardly into the shaft and guide shoes 17 (FIG. 2) at opposite sides of crosshead 13 slidably engage guide rails 15 during travel of the crosshead within the shaft.

Hoisting cable 12 extends downwardly from its connection at 18 with crosshead 13, through a guide 19 carried by a spider 2t), and into a sheave housing 21, around a sheave 22 that serves as a cable guide member, up through another guide 23 carried by the spider 20, and past guide pulleys 24 and 25 to the reel, not shown.

Sheave housing 21 is fixed to a bail 26 of a skip 27, so that pulling on the end of cable 12 connected to the reel will raise the sheave, the sheave housing, and the Skip. Similarly, releasing the cable will allow the sheave, sheave housing, and skip, to drop in the shaft.

Skip 27 is of usual construction and has guide shoes 28 at opposite sides thereof adapted to engage the vertical guide rails 15. As the skip is raised from the bottom of the shaft by the reeling in of cable 12, shoes 28 are maintained in aligned relationship with rails 15 by the cable 12 passing through guides 19 and 23. This arrangement effectively provides a double guide cable beneath the crosshead that prevents undesired swinging and rotation of the skip when it is below the ends of rails 15 and, automatically reduces the speed of travel of the skip when it is disengaged from the crosshead to one-half the take-up speed of cable 12.

Safety rods 29 are provided to prevent undesired separation of the skip and crosshead during their travel along the guide rails. The safety rods are each guided for reciprocation through brackets 30 and 31 mounted on spider 20 and the crosshead, respectively. Actuator cranks 32 are pivotally mounted to the crosshead at 33 and include arms 34 pivotally connected to the ends of the safety rods adjacent the brackets 31. The other arms 35 of the actuator cranks extend outwardly from the crosshead and are adapted to engage landing chairs 36 positioned on the reinforcement timbering at the lowermost ends of the guide rails. Springs 37, posi- Cad tioned between the brackets 31 and collars 38 fixed on the rods, normally bias the rods toward spider 20.

Spider 20 includes a central hub 39 (FIG. from which arms 40 and 41, that respectively carry guides 19 and 23, and arms 42 and 43 (FIGS. 3 and 4) radiate. The central hub is constructed of an inner telescoping tubular member 39a and an outer telescoping tubular member 39b, with a spring 39c between them. Inner member 39a is fixed to the crosshead and the arms 40 and 41, and 42 and 43 are fixed to outer member 3%.

A cup shaped member 44 preferably extends downward-1y from outer member 3912 and has slots 44a in the sides thereof to receive rods 45 that extend outwardly from the faces of sheave housing 21. Rods 45, cooperate with the safety rods 29 to prevent undesired separation of the crosshead and skip, as will be further explained.

In operation the skip and crosshead are lowered in coupled engagement into the shaft. At this time a lifting or holding force is being applied by the hoisting cable to the skip, and through the skip to the crosshead. Thus, guides 19 and 23 rest on the sheave housing 21, and outer member 3917 is moved upwardly with respect to inner member 39a, thereby compressing spring 390. This also moves arms 42 and 43 upwardly with respect to the crosshead.

Arms 42 and 43 are each pivotally connected to a link 46, the other end ofwhich is pivotally connected to an outwardly extending finger 47 of a rod 48. The rods 48 are journaled through mountings 49 (FIG. 2) on the crosshead and extend completely beneath the crosshead, with their ends terminating adjacent the guide rails. Safety dogs 50 are fixed on each of the ends of the rods to grip the guide rails and to prevent falling of the crosshead should slack develop in cable 12.

When there is tension on the cable, and the skip is in engagement with the crosshead in the manner previously described, arms 42 and 43 are moved upwardly with respect to the crosshead and through links 46 and fingers 47 the rods 48 are rotated and the safety dogs are pivoted outwardly such that clearance is provided between the dogs and the rail. The coupled crosshead and skip are then free to travel within the shaft.

Should slack develop in line 12, spring 390 will move arms 42 and 43 downwardly with respect to the crosshead, thereby pivoting dogs 50 inwardly such that their teeth 50a securely grip the guide rails. If this occurs during the time that the skip and crosshead are coupled together the skip can drop away from the crosshead only the short distance necessary for actuation of the safety dogs before rods 45 land on safety rods 29 and the fall of the skip is stopped.

When the crosshead and skip are lowered to the bottom of the guide rails, and arms 35 contact landing chairs 36, actuator cranks 32 are pivoted to withdraw safety rods 29 from beneath rods 45. The skip is then free to move away from the crosshead and spring 39c biases the safety dogs to their rail gripping position. The skip will then continue its downward travel at one-half the speed at which cable 12 is payed out.

After the skip isfilled it is raised into engagement with the crosshead, the safety dogs are released, and the crosshead and skip are raised to the top of the shaft together, all as has been previously described.

Whereas there is here illustrated and specifically described a certain preferred construction of apparatus which is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention, it should be understood that various changes may be made and other constructions adopted without departing from the inventive subject matter particularly pointed out and claimed herebelow.

I claim:

1. A skip hoist for use in sinking a shaft having guide rails terminating short of the bottom of the shaft and a hoisting device located at the top of the shaft, said skip hoist comprising a crosshead having guide-rail-engaging means adapted to anchor such crosshead adjacent to the lower ends of the guide rails of the shaft;

a skip having guide shoes adapted to engage said guide rails and to be disengaged therefrom when said crosshead is anchored adjacent to the lower ends of the guide rails;

means for releasably attaching said skip to said crosshead;

a cable guide member carried by said skip;

means, including a hoisting cable for raising and lowering said skip below the guide rails and for moving said skip and said crosshead together along the guide rails;

guide means carried by the crosshead;

means for attaching one end of said hoisting cable to the hoisting device, said cable extending downwardly through said crosshead and the guide means carried thereby and around said cable guide member; and

means fixing the other end of the said hoisting cable to said crosshead.

2. The skip hoist of claim 1, wherein said guide means includes a pair of spaced guides carried by the crosshead, the cable passing down through one of the guides before passing around the support means on the skip and up through the other of said guides before being fixed to the crosshead.

3. The skip hoist of claim 1, wherein the skip includes a bail; a sheave housing is mounted on said bail; and the cable guide member on the skip comprises a sheave positioned in said sheave housing.

4, The skip hoist of claim l, wherein the guide-railengaging means includes pivoted dog members carried by said crosshead; means biasing said dog members into a guide rail engaging position; and means responsive to contact of the skip with the crosshead for moving said dog members into a position whereat they release the guide rail.

5. The skip hoist of claim 4, wherein the means for releasably attaching the skip to the crosshead includes latch means carried by the crosshead for holding said skip in engagement with the crosshead, and wherein said latch means includes at least one acuator crank adapted to engage a landing chair at the lower end of the guide rails, whereby said skip is released from engagement with said crosshead.

6. The skip hoist of claim 5, wherein the guide means carried by the crosshead includes a pair of, spaced guides carried by the crosshead, the cable passing down through one of the guides before passing around the support means on the skip and up through the other of said guides before being fixed to the crosshead.

7. The skip hoist of claim 5, wherein the skip includes a bail; a sheave housing is mounted on said bail; and the cable guide member on the skip comprises a sheave positioned in said sheave housing.

8. The skip hoist of claim 7, wherein the guide means carried by the crosshead includes a pair of spaced guides carried by the crosshead, the cable passing down through one of the guides, around the sheave, and up through ltnhecpther of said guides before being fixed to the cross- 9. A skip hoist for use in sinking a shaft having guide rails terminating short of the bottom of the shaft, comprising a crosshead having guide-rail-engaging means adapted to anchor such crosshead adjacent to the lower ends of the guide rails;

a skip having guide shoes adapted to engage said guide rails and to be disengaged therefrom when said cross head is anchored adjacent to the lower ends of the guide rails;

means for releasably attaching said skip to said crosshead;

a cable guide member carried by said skip;

a hoisting device located at the top of the shaft;

means, including a hoisting cable for raising and lowering said skip below the guide rails and for moving said skip and said crosshead together along the guide rails;

guide means carried by the crosshead;

means attaching one end of said cable to said hoisting device, said cable extending downwardly therefrom through said crosshead and the guide means carried thereby and around said cable guide member; and

means fixing the other end of said cable to said crosshead.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,937,773 5/1960 Pierce et a1 214-95 3,123,240 3/1964 MacAlpine 187-96 X 3,195,685 7/ 1965 MacAlpine 187-96 X 3,227,245 1/ 1966 James 21495 X FOREIGN PATENTS 952,211 11/1956 Germany.

285,248 12/1952 Switzerland.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. R. B. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SKIP HOIST FOR USE IN SINKING A SHAFT HAVING GUIDE RAILS TERMINATING SHORT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SHAFT AND A HOISTING DEVICE LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE SHAFT, SAID SKIP HOIST COMPRISING A CROSSHEAD HAVING GUIDE-RAIL-ENGAGING MEANS ADAPTED TO ANCHOR SUCH CROSSHEAD ADJACENT TO THE LOWER ENDS OF THE GUIDE RAILS OF THE SHAFT; A SKIP HAVING GUIDE SHOES ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID GUIDE RAILS AND TO BE DISENGAGED THEREFROM WHEN SAID CROSSHEAD IS ANCHORED ADJACENT TO THE LOWER ENDS OF THE GUIDE RAILS; MEANS FOR RELEASABLY ATTACHING SAID SKIP TO SAID CROSSHEAD; A CABLE GUIDE MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID SKIP; MEANS, INCLUDING A HOISTING CABLE FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID SKIP BELOW THE GUIDE RAILS AND FOR MOVING SAID SKIP AND SAID CROSSHEAD TOGETHER ALONG THE GUIDE RAILS; GUIDE MEANS CARRIED BY THE CROSSHEAD; MEANS FOR ATTACHING ONE END OF SAID HOISTING CABLE TO THE HOISTING DEVICE, SAID CABLE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID CROSSHEAD AND THE GUIDE MEANS CARRIED THEREBY AND AROUND SAID CABLE GUIDE MEMBER; AND MEANS FIXING THE OTHER END OF THE SAID HOISTING CABLE TO SAID CROSSHEAD. 